The present invention generally relates to assemblies for slitting bands into a multiplicity of ribbons, particularly relates to slitting assemblies for baked goods, specifically relates to baked goods slitting assemblies which are not prone to sticking problems, and more specifically relates to slitting assemblies for fat-free food products which are slit when their internal temperatures are above ambient temperatures.
Difficulties are encountered while cutting many types of baked goods and in particular fat-free products as the baked goods and crumbs thereof tend to stick to the cutting blades. Cutting blades having product stuck thereto will not cut in a satisfactory manner and mechanical removal is often not effective. Two approaches have been utilized to overcome this sticking problem, namely lubricating the blade or cooling the blade. In lubricating the blade, an anti-adherent such as an oil or even water is continuously coated on the blade as a means to prevent sticking of product to the blades. This approach has had limited success and is also undesirable as introducing a foreign substance to the baked goods being slit.
Various approaches have been utilized to cool the blades. A first method is to provide cooling of the anvil roll against which the outer peripheries of the rotating blades abut. Although cooling of the anvil roll can be easily accomplished, heat transfer from the blades is limited due to the relatively small area of the conduction path between the blades and the anvil roll. A further method is to provide cooling air flow past the blades. If the blades are cooled to less than about 40xc2x0 F. (4.5xc2x0 C.), such air cooling was successful in overcoming sticking problems. However, the system for de-oiling, de-watering, and removing debris such as by filtering the air as well as for moving the air is relatively expensive in capital and operating costs. Another approach is to pack dry ice atop the rotating cutting blades. As the cutter blades were rotated through, the dry ice was contacted against the axial faces of the blades and cooled the same. Again, if the blades are cooled to less than about 40xc2x0 F. (4.5xc2x0 C.), such dry ice cooling was successful in overcoming sticking problems. However, handling dry ice is relatively dangerous, and dry ice is expensive so this approach is not very commercially feasible.
Other methods for cutting sticky products exist. However, such other methods, such as the use of water jets which eliminate the need for blades, are expensive and are not as economically feasible in comparison to the use of cutting blades which are moved relative to the product such as by rotation of the blades.
Thus, a need continues to exist for overcoming sticking problems encountered by blades which cut baked goods and especially fat-free products and for overcoming the problems and deficiencies of prior approaches attempting to solve this need.
It is thus an object of the present invention to provide novel methods and assembly for slitting bands into a multiplicity of ribbons.
It is further an object of the present invention to provide such novel slitting methods and assembly especially applicable to bands formed of fat-free food products.
It is further an object of the present invention to provide such novel slitting methods and assembly which do not introduce foreign substances into the band.
It is further an object of the present invention to provide such novel slitting methods and assembly which do not deposit debris upon cutting blades.
It is further an object of the present invention to provide such novel slitting methods and assembly not requiring handling of dry ice or similar low temperature substances.
It is further an object of the present invention to provide such novel slitting methods and assembly having efficient heat transfer from the cutting blades.
It is further an object of the present invention to provide such novel slitting methods and assembly having reduced capital and operation costs.
Surprisingly, the above objects and other aims can be satisfied in the field of slitting continuous bands into ribbons by providing, in preferred aspects of the present invention, the circulation of a coolant through an internal bore of a cutter for cooling the blades of the cutter by conduction to a temperature which is below ambient temperature for all practical purposes eliminating the band or portions of the band from sticking to the blade as the cutting edge of the blade is moved relative to the hand for cutting the band.
In most preferred aspects of the present invention, the cutter is a rotary cutter having a circular cutting edge rotated about an axis, with the rotary cutter including an axial bore extending between the axial ends of the cutter. Rotary joints in fluid communication with the axial bore receive and return the coolant from a source of coolant. The rotary cutter is formed by annular blades slideably received on a shaft and held in place thereon by hubs also received on the shaft and having axial ends flushly abutting with the axial faces of the blades.
These and further aspects and advantages of the present invention will become clearer in light of the following detailed description of an illustrative embodiment of this invention described in connection with the drawings.